The Lake Breeze Newspaper

Volume #98, Issue #8

Lake Breeze Newspaper

Andrew Becker, Web Edition Editor

April 26, 2013

Zero Hour Gets Axed, School To Offer Online Hybrid Classes

Story by: Sara Schrank

As the economy changes, the classes at school are affected. There will be no opportunity to take a zero hour class starting next fall. This reduction may cut down on some students’ scheduling opportunities, making their schedules full and creating more scheduling conflicts.
Students take zero hour for many different reasons such as giving themselves more time for a study hall or getting out of school early.
“I like zero hour because it gives be a chance to take an extra elective,” said junior Steve Rodriguez.
Principal Mike Trimberger stated, “Ten sections will be cut. Some classes will combined.”
“By having zero hour cut, this offers an extended amount of more online classes,” Trimberger said.
The classes that will tentatively be offered next year online will be Spanish 1&2, Health 1&2, Biology, Chemistry and AP Micro and Macro Economics.
In addition to those classes being online, Trimberger said, “Now that we have more online classes, we can run classes that only a small amount of students wanted to take.”
According to Trimberger South High teachers will be supervising the online courses.
“The teachers who are supervising the online classes already know it is a part of their contracted time,” Trimberger stated.
“For example, they are teaching four sections of regular classes and one online section,” Trimberger added.
“It is not a straight online class. It is a hybrid class that students have to meet with the teacher one time a week,” Trimberger said.
Due to online course offerings and budget cuts, the total number of teachers working at South next year will decrease by one position.
With so many online classes, students may have the opportunities to take more credits and more of a choice to free-up their schedules.
Junior Camber Posewitz stated, “Now that there are more online classes being available, it works out for everyone in case they want to take an extra credit in or outside of school.”
There has been a lot of talk about different programs being cut such as the music and theater programs.
Trimberger added “ We need to offer a different variety of classes, so the fine arts are not in jeopardy of being cut.”
“South offers a lot of different classes and its is nice so each student can find a class that fits them,” Posewitz added.